I'm not objective when it comes to this, since Xbox has been my choice since 2010. Despite all its legendary mistakes (like the RROD, Mattrick´s TV-centric focus, mismanagement of Halo and other great IPs, an underpowered and overpriced Xbox One, and arguably the controversial acquisition of ABK), I believe the brand has a legacy of innovation and remains, in general, the most consumer-friendly among all major platform holders.
-It successfully entered an industry dominated by two cultural giants, Sony and Nintendo, and managed to challenge them to some extent. In some ways, it inherited Sega's mantle but with much more financial power.
-Xbox introduced sophisticated and stable online services on consoles, redefining the zeitgeist from a technical standpoint.
-The infamous Sony trolling at E3 2013 ("How to share games on PS4") resonated throughout the gaming sphere, but it was ultimately unfair, and the future was closer to Microsoft's diagnosis. Xbox One was a good console with many quality games. The decline of Halo and Gears did hurt it significantly.
-Game Pass, while slowing down, was very disruptive. Its impact cannot be overstated. For example, here in Argentina (where software pricing and piracy remain rampant) it is an accesible, versatile way to enjoy videogames.
-Play Anywhere and cross-play/cross-save represent significant steps toward a (convenient and ultimately inevitable, IMHO) hardware-agnostic future. Offering a cloud alternative could potentially affect Microsoft's first-party hardware sales, but it's a relevant move in the right direction.
I see these recurring prophecies of doom for Xbox, yet I´ve been enjoying videogames more than ever on my humble Series S (which is significantly cheaper than comparable options, both console and PC). Game Pass offers so much that I literally can´t give a try to everything I would like to play. And what a spectacle it is to be playing my GOAT, Microsoft Flight Simulator, decently through the cloud.
I may be in the minority, but Xbox still has a lot to offer. The brand's unforced errors and lukewarm reception outside key markets shouldn't take that away.